ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. net — after costs
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. lean — thin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. band — a ring
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. saw — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com